Display rack



Feb. 7, 1939. R. ERICKSON 2,146,112

' DISPLAY RACK Filed Sept. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 7, 1939. E R ERlCKSON 2,146,112

DISPLAY RACK Filed Sept. 8, 15.936 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 lf/ A 0 I v Ilm l; I2C

' 'l f i i 5,5

IO 38o Patented Feb. 7, 1939 ,1PA TIEN T O F -F l CE DISPLAY RACK Ernest R. Erickson, Des Moines, Iowa, assignor to C. E. Erickson Company, Incorporated, Des vMoines, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application September 8, 1936, Serial No. 99,782

7 Claims.

Theobjectof my invention is to provide a display rack for displaying bread orvother merchandise.

It has recently become the custom toI display ,g5 -bread on racks in retail establishments and my Yrack lis especially designed for that purpose, but `my rack and many of its features could be used for displaying other merchandise.

It is my purpose to provide such a rack, which im is very'sturdy construction and at the same time very simple and economical to manufacture.

To this end, it is my, purpose to yprovide a number of AVfeatures of structure which will be hereafter explained and claimed indetail, whereby a .1,5 Thseries of shelves may be. assembled and rigidly connected togetherto form a rack with what appears to beltwo simple upright members spaced lengthwise of the rack for supporting the various shelves.

.2O With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the `variousparts of my display rackywhereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, 25 pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

iFigure 1 is a top or plan view of a display rack n embodyingmy invention.

Figure 2 isa front elevation of the same.

30 .Figure 3-is an end elevation of the rack.

Figure 4 is a detail, sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Figure l, illustrating the joint in the surrounding wall of the middle shelf.

Figure 5 is a detail,r sectional View taken on the Figure 6 isa verticaL'sectional AView taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2 andillustrating a supporting means forvthe shelves at one end of the `rack.

,40 Figure '7 isa detail, sectional view taken on the line 'l-'I of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a perspective View of one end of the ,45 upright tubular supporting member, which is in- 55 v,being given to thelretailers or more frequently loaned to the retailer for use indisplayingthe rmanufacturers bread.

y should be kept down, and therefore thatthe cost of manufacture should be as economical vas possible.

:Becausefsuch racks standrin a prominent posi- 110 tion in the retailers store,and because they affect the impression ofthe manufacturers product, it is important thatthe racks shouldr embody such structure as makes a favorable impression on the eye. Such arack must bea good looking piece 175 of vstore furniture.

My rack has been made lwith a view'of complying with these requirements.

I willrst describe the lstructurerbeginning at thebottom of the/rack. Itl should be kept in mind that this mode of treatment of the .rack does not necessarily indicate the order in which `the parts areg assembled.

Each rack has two members that Imay call supports I Il', comprising tubular members bent.l from a centralpoint downwardly toward Aeach end, and provided at their ends withsmooth caps I I, which rest on the floor.

At the middle of each support I0 resting thereon is a metal saddle I2, which has substantially .'30 the form of a downwardly openingrectangular' box. The side walls of the saddle I2 straddle the support I0 and rest thereon as indicated at I2a .in Figure 7.

`lug I3 projecting into one of the notches I5. "145 At I6, I have indicated the lower shelf Vof the rack.

Fastened to the under side ofthe shelf I6 in the manner hereinafter more fully explained is al metal Washer I 1, which has a central, annular downstruck part I8, provided with a lug I9, like the lug I 3.already described.

The upperfend of the tubular-member yI4 receives .-thedown-struck .portion .I8 vof the; washer 55 I1 with the lug I9 received in a notch I5 in the member I4.

Resting on top of the shelf I6 above each of the washers II is a tube or pipe seat 20, which I will now more particularly describe. Either the washer tube seat I1 or the tube seat 29 may be used, as maybe desired.

This tube or pipe seat 29 is made from an annular metal disc, which is shaped in a press or the like to form a central cup-like depression 2 I with an annular, external inclined flange 22.

The parts are so arranged, for example'that when what I call the under side of the periphery of the tube seat 29 rests against a hat surface, the under side of the cup 2l will be held slightly away from such surface.

One of these tube seats 20 is fastened to the upper side of the shelf I6 by means of bolts 23, which extend through the holes 24 in the ange 22 near the cup-shaped depression 2! and then through the shelf I6 and through suitable holes in the washer I1. These bolts have nuts 25. By drawing the nuts tightly on the bolts, the under side of the cup-shaped portion 2| may be drawn tightly against the shelf.

Received in the cup-shaped portion 2| of the tube seat 28 is the lower end of an upright, tubular member 26.

At the upper end of the tubular support 26 is a second shelf 21, which is a little shorter and alittle narrower than the shelf I6.

Interposed between the tubular member 26 and the shelf 21 is another of these tube seats 20 turned upsidedown.

On top of the shelf 21 is another tube seat 20, which may be slightly smaller than the ones used in connection with the tube 26. It is smaller because the upper tubular supporting member 23 is slightly smaller than the member 26, which likewise is slightly smaller than the member I4. By smaller I mean of less outside diameter.

At the upper end of the tubular member 23 is a top shelf 29 on the under side of which is another tube seat 20 like that at the lower end of the tube 28.

This upper tube seat 28 is fastened to the shelf 29 by bolts 30 and nuts 3l.

Each of the tube seats has a central hole 32.

The raised portion I2C ofthe saddle I2 has a central hole 33.

In the Aunder side of the shelf 29 is a recess 34Y to receive the head of along tie bolt 35, which extends through all of the tube seats 20 and through the saddle I2 and through the support I9, and has on its lower end a lock washer 23 and a nut 31.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a structure having parts which lend themselves to ready and convenient assembly into a rigid display rack. v

It will be noted that on account of the fact that the washer I1 is fastened by the boltsY 23 to the shelf I6 and the further fact that thewasher I1y and saddle I2 are provided with the lugs I3-I9, which cooperate with the notches I5 at the ends of the tubular member I4, and the further fact that the saddle I2 has lits ends shaped tov partially encircle the support iilas shown in Figure 7, the support I0 cannot twist orrotate on the vertical axis, but will always remain in the relaltive position it assumes ,when the parts are assembled. 1 y, K

On account o f the arrangement here shown, it

will also be noted that no Vbolts areneeded for fastening the tube seats 20 to the shelf 21.V

It may be mentioned that when the nut 31 is tightened, the members 20 above and below the shelf 21 will be pressed tightly against the shelf.

The shelves I6, 21 and 29 are preferably wood, although they might be made of metal.

In the form which I prefer the middle shelf 21 has a peripheral wall 38. The wall 38 has a structure which lends itself to cheap and rapid manufacture and assembly.

The Wall 38 is made in four sections which have joints at the ends of the shelf midway from the sides thereof and at the sides of the shelf midway between the ends thereof.- Thus eachv section is in the form of an angle which extends around one corner of the shelf. As shown in Figure l, a section of the wall 3B is indicated at 38o. At the end of each section, the edge thereof is provided with a series of tongues 39 and recesses or grooves 49. rIhe adjoining section has coacting tongues 39 and grooves 49. The grooves are wider at their bottoms and the tongues are correspondingly shaped, so that the adjacent ends of two sections can be locked together as best seen in Figure 4.

To further strengthen the wall 38, I provide a metal clip 4I, which is simply an upright-strip having itsvupper ends bent inwardly and then downwardly as at 4 I a to receive the upper edge of the wall 38 at one of the joints. Y

The main portion of the clip 4I is on the outside of the wall and covers the joint and is fastened to the shelf 21 by means of a screw 42 extending through the clip 4 I, the wall 38 and into the shelf 21. (See Figure 5.) Y

The shelf 29 is narrower than the shelf 21 an is just enough shorter to snugly t between the ends of the wall 38 for storage and transportation.

the shelf 21 and will fit within the wall 38.

A device of this'kind can be conveniently stored and transported in knock-down form.

It will, of course, be understood that all the holes are bored or drilled inthe parts, so that the parts may be conveniently and readily assembled into the completed rack. n

There is another advantage in arrangingY the joints in the middles of the sides and ends of the wall 38. By so doing, the corners ofthe shelf 21 can be cut off, leavingopen'ingsv between the shelf and the wall 38 as indicated at 50 in Figure 1. Through these openings, crumbs or the like may be discharged for conveniently cleaning the shelf 21, which has the wall 39. A

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my improved display rack, and it is my purpose to cover by my claims any modications which may be reasonablyincluded within their' scope and the scope of my invention.

I claim Yas my invention l. A display rack having at each end a support, comprising a tube curved'from its central part downwardly to its ends andprovided with a cap As shown in Figure 1, the shelf 29 can be set on on its ends, aV saddle fitted on the top of the suplug received in the lower one of said notches, a

washer with a down-struck central portion rej'c'eived within the upper endV of said tubular member Yand provided with a lug projectingtinto the f.

notch in the upper end of the tubular member, said rack having a shelf having at each end means extending lengthwise through the shelf, the washer, the tubular member, saddle and the tube for binding the parts together.

2. A display rack having at each end a supporting means and a saddle resting thereon, having a central upstruck portion and a tube on the saddle receiving said upstruck portion, and a washer at the upper end of the tube having a down-struck portion projecting into the tube, a shelf secured to said washer, said tubes and said saddles and washers having coacting parts to prevent relative rotation thereof, the saddles and the supports having coacting parts to prevent relative rotation thereof.

3. A display rack having spaced supports and a plurality of vertically spaced shelves, means for supporting the shelves on the supports and in spaced relation to each other, said means comprising a single upright at each end of the rack, comprised of vertical tubular sections between the respective shelves and a tie rod extending from the top shelf through the vertical sections to the support, the supporting means of each end of the rack having projecting parts to prevent the rotation of the supports with relation to the shelves.

4. A display rack having at each end a support, comprising a member curved from the central part downwardly and laterally'to its ends, and a saddle tted on top of the support having portions to straddle the support and having an upstruck portion formed with a laterally projecting lug, a tubular member, said upstruck portion being adapted to t in an end thereof, said tubular member having a notch in its wall at each end, said tubular member resting on the saddle and receiving the upstruck portion thereof and receiving said lug in one of said notches, a washer with a downstruck central portion snugly fitted within the upper end of said tubular member and provided with a lug projecting into the notch in the upper end of the tubular member, a shelf secured to the upper parts of said washers, and a tie rod rigidly fastening together the members of each support.

5. A display rack having a plurality of shelves and having at each end a support comprising a member curved from its central portion downwardly to its ends, a saddle seated non-rotatably on top of the support, tubular elements interposed between the saddle and the lowermost shelf and between each successive pair of shelves, metal members secured to the shelves to receive the upper ends of said tubular members, rods anchored to the topmost of said metal members and extending downwardly at each end of the rack through the successive shelves and tubular members and secured to the supports.

6. A display rack having at each end a support comprising .a tube curved from its central part downwardly to its ends and provided with a cap on its ends, a saddle tted on the top of said tube, said rack having a shelf provided at each end with means extending through the shelf, the saddle and the support for binding the parts together.

7. A display rack having spaced supports and a plurality of vertically spaced shelves, means for supporting the shelves on the supports and in spaced relation to each other, said means comprising a single upright at each end of the rack formed of vertical tubular sections between the respective shelves and saddle members between the lower shelf and said supports, and a tie rod extending from the top shelf through the vertical sections to the support, said saddle members engaging said supports to prevent the rotation of the supports with relation to the shelves.

ERNEST R. ERICKSON. 

